The cost of publishing and hosting for a full year a standard Flip Portfolio such as Eillyn’s is Au $140.00. That is the cost if a complete PDF file ready for publishing is provided. The cost of a Flip Portfolio such as Anna’s would be considerably more. The cost would be calculated on the basis of Au$140.00 for the first thirty pages and Au$1.00 for each additional page over thirty.

With a Flip Portfolio you have a simple URL that you are able to post in emails, text messages or give to agents, potential clients or whoever else may be interested.

There are several alternatives for you in getting your Flip Portfolio published. Provided you own the copyright and/or have permission from the copyright holder, you can provide the photos for the Flip Portfolio. If you have the skills, or access to someone with the skills, you can then format all of these photographs and provide a ready to be published PDF file.

Almost everyone has a camera, but not many people can produce high resolution quality photographs that are suitable for a portfolio.

Flip Portfolios are brand new, using the latest Flip Page technology. They can be read on mobile Android and Apple devices as well as on PC’s.

As a special introductory offer from now until the end of March 2018, we can provide for you a complete standard Flip Portfolio for one half of the normal costs.

This offer includes the following:

1. A photography shoot at a venue of your choice in Brisbane or within a reasonable distance from Brisbane. This shoot can last for a maximum of up to three hours and can include as many changes of clothes for different looks that you would like. It will also include head shots. Sometimes it is good to have some shots with someone else as well as individual shots. If you choose to shoot with someone else at the same time, you will have a combined total of six hours maximum time shooting. Some different venues within the same local area can be included if you so wish, however, traveling time will be included in the total allocated time for the shoot. Another advantage of a combined shoot is that if you wish you could have two separate three hour sessions on different days and different venues.

2. From that shoot a minimum of one hundred and twenty edited high resolution files will be provided for the Flip Portfolio. Up to one hundred and fifty files may be provided, but there will be no additional charge for any files more than the one hundred and twenty. Low resolution watermarked copies of these files will be provided for you before we start work on your Flip Portfolio. You will be welcome to use any of these watermarked files on web sites such as Starnow or Facebook or to send in emails if you wish.

3. We will discuss with you, and show you some examples of, layout options before starting work on your Flip Portfolio. Before the actual publishing of the Flip Portfolio we will build a PDF file for you to review before the actual Flip Portfolio is published. Your review will be mainly looking for any mistakes especially in your particulars which we may have missed. We will produce the PDF ready document based on the discussions we would have had together. Considerable time is spent producing layouts, and you are not able to sit down with us whilst this is done, so major changes will incur additional costs.

4. Once you have approved the PDF file publication of the Flip Portfolio will not take very long. You will have an simple URL that you will be able to send to anyone you wish.

I mentioned earlier that this special offer of half normal price is valid up until the end of March 2018.

Here is a breakdown of the normal pricing.

Cost of purchasing high resolution photographs from the one shoot is listed on the Ahead Foto Costs page.
As you can see the cost of the first ten high resolution photos from a shoot is Au$200.00. Each additional photograph after the first ten is costed at Au$10.00 per photograph. Therefore the cost of a total of one hundred and twenty high resolution photographs would amount to Au$1,300.00.

The cost of preparing the layout for the Flip Portfolio is Au$12.00 per page. This component will cost Au$360.00. Finally, the cost of publishing a standard Flip Portfolio and hosting it for a year is Au$140.

50% of this amounts to Au$900.00 which is all it will cost you for your complete standard Flip Portfolio. Normally 50% of this will be paid when ordering your Flip Portfolio, and the remaining 50% when the Flip Portfolio is published.

Payment may be paid directly to me or to participating agents. Your agent may have some suggestions regarding information to be included on the contact information page of your Flip Portfolio. Click the link for further information regarding your Flip portfolio.

A question I am often asked at photo shoots is, “how long have you been a photographer for?”. Generally I answer along the lines of, “around fifty years”. But, that is not accurate. My first camera was given to me when I was a ten year old before my parents, siblings and I, were about to board the P & O Liner Stratheden to spend a year in Pakistan and India. I still remember it well. Its brand was, Bunny. And, my Bunny was a 120 format film camera. My seventy-second birthday is just over a week from now, so that actually makes it over sixty years that I have been a photographer.

You of course are much younger than I am, most people are, and you may or may not be aware that before everyone was a photographer and able to take photographs with their phone that they could carry around with them in their pockets or purse, photographers had to have cameras that used film. Cameras using 120 format film were common in the fifties and sixties, before cameras using 35mm format became popular. 120 format rolls of film allowed you to take twelve shots before you had to rewind the film and send it off to be developed. About a week later you would receive the developed film and a set of proof prints. These films and prints were in black and white. Most coloured prints back in those days were black and white prints which were hand coloured after being printed.

My second camera was also a 120 format camera. My twin reflex Rolleicord camera was a much better camera than my first, but was quite big and awkward to use. It was given to me from my father who had purchased one of the new 35mm film cameras which had come onto the market. They took rolls of film which enabled you to take 24 or even 36 shots from the one roll before rewinding and having it developed. My first 35mm film camera was a Nikon purchased in 1976 before heading off to the USA and Canada for a trip.

With the cost of film, developing and printing, and the limited number of shots that could be taken with each roll, not to mention the waiting time to get all of this done, you will probably understand that a far greater knowledge of photography was required, if quality results were to be obtained and this hobby was not going to cost you a fortune. All photographers using film knew the relationship between exposure times, apertures and ISO ratings of film. Knowledge of lighting conditions and composition were also essential if quality results were to be obtained without breaking the bank. We could take shots in darker conditions using a flash, but each flash bulb could be used for one shot only before being thrown away.

Some savings could be made by purchasing the equipment and chemicals and developing and printing your own film. Many nights were spent in my teenage years and as a young adult in my bathroom which had been temporarily converted into a dark room.

Now, of course with digital cameras and software programs, much more can be done with photography faster and at less expense than in the past.

However, I am firmly of the opinion that no knowledge is wasted. My sixty plus years photography apprenticeship helps me produce better results with the modern equipment and software programs I now have available.

Photography has never been my fulltime work, although I have managed to involve it in most jobs that I have had. Most of my career has been in the education sector. However, now I am no longer teaching or lecturing, I am spending much more time on photography and related areas.

My preferred genre is portraiture. And, in that genre I include both people and animals. I do have many satisfied clients and have reprinted some unsolicited testimonials from them here. Photograph albums have been produced with photos of many of the models I have worked with in recent years. These are available for purchase as paperbacks from all major international book-sellers, and are also available as inexpensive E-books or Flip Page books which can be instantly downloaded. Details of these publications are on my Ian’s Books site.

In 2017 I published a new magazine Petography Magazine. Four issues have now been published. The above photo is the cover of issue 2. I am after additional photos and stories for future issues. If you live fairly locally to me, I live at Jimboomba, I would be happy to arrange a photography session with you and your pet. You will of course have to provide me with a story of your pet, and/or pets, as editorial content for the magazine. There is no financial cost involved for you to participate in this photo shoot. A group shoot for people and their dogs has been planned for Calamvale dog park for Saturday 10 March, 2018. details are on the Events page of Pets Pics Facebook page. Please indicate there if you are able to make it along to the shoot.

Inclusion in a future Petography Magazine is not dependant upon me taking the photos. I am happy to receive submissions from people living outside of my driving range.

Two other magazines are on the drawing boards. The first of these is Models Actors Performers. The first issue of this magazine is due to be published in March. This magazine will be able to be downloaded for free. Hopefully the cost of production will be covered by paid advertisements in the magazine. The magazine should be of interest to anyone involved with: modelling, acting, drama, theatre, dance and any other performances. Each issue will contain around three in-depth interviews and photos of people involved in the industry, plus additional photographs of models and actors and any associated short stories and/or comments. If you are interested in being published, come along to any of my group shoots. If you also have a story to tell, I would be happy to receive it from you for possible inclusion in a future magazine. The third magazine South East Queensland Living is on hold until about half way through 2018.

Petography magazine Issue 1

In previous years I have had group shoots. I plan to still have these in 2018 but probably not as frequently as in the past. The first group shoot of 2018 is planned for Saturday 17 February. The time for the shoot is 10:00am and the venue is Orleigh Park which is situated at 68 Hill End Terrace, West End. The shoot is listed on the Passionate About Photography Facebook Events page. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please indicate on the page if you plan on coming along to the shoot.

Details regarding my photoshoots are listed on my Ahead Foto web site. But, I shall reiterate a few of them here. Firstly, all organised group shoots are free to attend for models participating in the shoots, however I do expect an indication of who intends coming along on the relevant Facebook page promoting the event. In the past I have allowed other photographers to attend most of these shoots as well, but as from the beginning of 2017, I have limited the numbers to a maximum of two other photographers apart from me. Photographers wishing to attend will need to PM me to ascertain if there are any positions left for any particular shoot. Model Release forms are required to be completed and signed prior to the shoot. These can be downloaded by participants, however I shall have copies with me at shoots. Children under eighteen years of age are welcome but will need to have a parent present to sign their Model Release. File copies of all edited photos from the shoot will be made available to participants in the week following the shoot free of charge. These file copies are of low resolution and will have a small non-obtrusive watermark on them. They are suitable for posting on web sites or in emails, but not for printing. High resolution files without watermarks are also available, but there will be a charge for these.

In 2017 I purchased Flip Page software, and also paid for hosting of multiple sites. The first Flip Portfolio will be published by the end of February or early in March 2018. It will consist of a simple URL that can be given to agents, clients or whoever. It is in effect a modern, but far better, version of the old Z cards or Comp cards which had to be printed and sent. We are now in 2018 and everyone has a, PC, a notebook computer, or an Ipad, or a smart phone, or several of these. These files can be viewed very quickly and easily. Check out more information by clicking on the link. I shall post a notice here as soon as the first becomes available.

It is planned that the Flip Portfolio will be a similar size, around twenty-five pages, and format to the Flip calendar which I have produced.

Finally for this news article, I would like to make just a couple of comments about openness and honesty and mention a few things which I find really annoying. And, I shall be making special reference to photography.

I don’t know about you, but if I am going to purchase some goods or services, I would like to know exactly what the cost is going to be, and what I shall get when I spend that money. When the price of something is not shown, I tend to avoid it. My reasoning is that if people will not show the price, then the goods or services are probably overpriced. Maybe I am being unfair, but I tend to associate with this lack of information about pricing a lower than desirable level of openness and honesty by the person(s) trying to flog off the goods or services. It’s a similar reaction to what I have when I start reading an online article when I get a notice part way through it that an advertisement is about to start. To me that is being sneaky. I don’t like these surprises and my reaction is to turn it off straight away. I know that advertising helps to cover the cost of things, but I like to decide for myself when to view or listen to advertisements.

But, lets look more specifically at photography.

Who or what is a photographer? What determines amateur of professional status? What about costs?

Everyone has at least one camera and thinks they are a photographer. And, they are. A photographer is someone who has a camera and takes photos. So all of us are photographers. We can all take shots and publish these on Instagram of Facebook and receive heaps of “likes” and positive comments from our “friends”. And, the quality of the digital cameras in smart phones and cheap digital cameras have improved and will no doubt keep on improving. So, reasonable shots can be obtained by someone without any photographic knowledge at all.

Before discussing what determines a professional from an amateur, we probably should firstly discuss what determines a “good” photographer from any old photographer.

To be skilful and have expertise in almost any pursuit generally requires a combination of both knowledge and practise. The same applies to photography. A knowledge of, and ability to apply, some of the basic rules of composition such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, balancing elements, symmetry and patterns, background, depth, framing, cropping have all got to help. We get better at applying these rules through doing it. That is practise. Then a knowledge of the relationships between exposure times, apertures and ISO and what to use with any particular genre has got to be helpful. Next, a good knowledge of the particular lenses to use and when is vital if you are going to be classified as a “good” photographer. Finally, but certainly not the least important is equipment. Why would a photographer spend five thousand dollars for their camera body and an average of over a thousand dollars for each of their lenses when a cheap smart phone could do the same job? The answer is it can’t do the same job. What the girl said to the sailor, “you only get what you pay for”, does not always apply, but it certainly does in this instance.

Okay then, what is a professional?

I read a post a week or so ago from a young lady who had just enrolled in an online photography course. Her post was telling all of her friends that in three months she will be a professional photographer. Wrong! In three months time she may have successfully completed an online photography course. Some people believe that being a professional is somehow related to payment. If someone charges for a service, then they must be a professional. There may be an element of truth in that, but that is all there is. Associating payment with professionalism is tenuous to say the least.

Professionalism is about knowledge, expertise, experience, values, attitude, ethics, honesty and fairness all wrapped up in a bundle. And sure, a professional may well charge for their services, but it is not the charging which make them professional.

Finally, this question of costs. How much should a photographer charge for their services? How much should the client pay?

It must be confusing for anyone wanting the services of a photographer. How do you determine what you want and how much you should pay for it?

Well, I don’t think there is an easy answer to that question.

Probably a bit of research such as looking at what they have produced, what others have said about them, and comparing the prices they charge with what others charge could be a good start. But, whatever you decide upon, please make sure you know exactly what it is in your agreement with the photographer, what you are getting, when you are getting it and at what cost. I have heard way too many stories about people paying for a wedding photographer for example and never receiving their shots.

These shoots have had anything from in excess of thirty participants and twelve photographers turn up to no one turning up except for me. One thing which has been consistent is that there are always more people who indicate that they will be coming than the number which actually turn up. Some shoots I organise are for submission to be considered for book covers etc. If any of the photographs are chosen, generally there is a fairly generous payment made for the photograph. If successful for the shoot in question, this income will be shared with the model(s). Details of the amount involved will be given before the shoot is organised. Otherwise, the shoot will be on a TFP basis. Regardless, the model will receive file copies of edited shots submitted. The agency I work with for these shoots is an international agency based in New York. I am a Premium Photographer with that agency which is called Image Brief. Clicking on the link will show my profile page with Image Brief.

There are several models with whom I have worked on numerous occasions who are very reliable, and who I would call on again and again to be involved in photo shoots.

I plan on still organising some shoots in 2018, but they will be on a less frequent basis than those which were planned up until the end of 2017. I am thinking at this stage of perhaps one each month at a pre-arranged regular place and time. This will be a reasonably central location in Brisbane which will make easy travelling to other fairly central photography venues. Perhaps for example the first Saturday of every month at 10am at a pre-arranged location.

Shoots requested

In the past I have responded to requests from models for shoots and have been let down on more than one occasion. There are at least three times that I can remember where I have gone to the pre-arranged venue for the shoot and the models have not arrived. One shoot was to have been at Kangaroo Point, another at the Sherwood Arboretum and the third at the Southport Spit. Each occasion has cost me half a day of my time, not to mention any travelling and other costs involved. Each of these shoots was for models who I had not previously met. Anyone I don’t know well wanting a shoot with me from now on will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $100 into my bank account well before the shoot date. This will not apply to group shoots which I have organised. Details are on the web site www.aheadfoto.com

Publications

I have published numerous books on a variety of topics. A check just revealed 87 Kindle and paperback books on my Amazon Author’s page and 51 flip page books in my bookcase. I also have a few Lulu and Epub publications which are not included in the other lists.

Many of the books in recent years have been photo albums and even more recently, magazines. Also, I have republished quite a few old children’s books such as Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes in a large format publication with additional graphics and colour. Some of these original publications are still available, but the cost ranges from several hundreds of dollars per copy to thousands of dollars per copy. They are now available as paperbacks for much less, and as e-books for as little as one dollar a copy.

Photo albums

Photo Albums are all available as printed paperbacks each with their own ISBN. They are also available as Kindle e-books and as flip page books. Some are in Epub format as well. I generally make a bulk purchase of all of my paperbacks, and I think I have copies of most still available. The paperbacks and Kindle books are also all available from Amazon USA and Amazon UK. If you live in Australia, I can provide copies of these publications to you at a lower price than you will be paying through Amazon. Contact me for details. If you want to send presents to friends or relatives in the USA or UK, Amazon will deliver postage free. (Well they have in the past and I assume they still do, but check first.)

I have converted all of the photo albums, and several other books, into Flip Page format, and these are all available from my Flip Page Bookcase. For any of these publications, you can view the first ten pages at no charge. Simply click on the book in the book case and the click the “preview” tab directly under the book.

Flip Page Publications

In 2017 I purchased the flip page technology software and also paid for the hosting of multiple flip page accounts. My primary aim with its purchase was to publish magazines, but I have used the software to convert many of my books in addition.

Magazines

To date I have published four issues of Petography Magazine. It is being produced as a bi-monthly magazine. You can view the cover of issue one here, issue two here, issue three here, and issue four here. There are two others on the drawing boards, Models Actors Performers and South East Queensland Living. I plan on the first issue of Models Actors Performers being published in March 2018, and the first issue of South East Queensland Living being published in June 2018. The frequency of issues of both will depend upon the interest in the two magazines. For them both to be successful, I will need contributions from others. Let me know if you would like to be involved with any of the three publications mentioned.

Models Actors Performers

As may be implied from the name of this magazine, the demographic being aimed for is people involved in or interested in: film, theatre, TV, dance, other performances, modelling, acting, voice overs and any thing related to these areas. As with the Petography Magazine, it will be available as both a paperback and an instantly downloadable Flip Page Book. Each issue should be around sixty to seventy pages. (The same size had been planned for Petography Magazine even though the latest two issues have grown to ninety pages plus).

Each issue will have around three in depth interviews with a person, or persons, on a particular topic. Most of the content for the first of these interviews for issue one has already been obtained. Collaboration with other parties for the next two have commenced. The transcription of the interviews will be supported with numerous photographs.

Apart from these in depth interviews, the remainder of the magazine will consist of short stories with associated photos and other relevant photos, with or without captions.

Flip Portfolios

Flip Portfolios are being offered to any actors and/or models who would like them. The first one should be online in March 2018 for you to view. There will be a basic cost just for the publication if all the material is supplied to me. (That would normally be in one PDF file). There will of course be additional costs if I do the photography, editing and layouts etc. Have a look at the Flip Portfolio web site. There will be more information available for you after the first Flip Portfolio has been posted. Model Anna is the model for the inaugural Flip Portfolio.

I plan on designing templates for both the 2018 and the 2019 calendars which will have a month to a page, with the other pages left blank for you to supply your own photos and advertising etc. This would be a great and inexpensive promotion for any firm. Contact me for further information.

The Flip Page Catalogue would be of a similar size to the calendar, but can contain colour images of your products and their prices etc. As with the calendars, contact me for further information.

Charges

Generally I have not charged in the past for photo shoots. I don’t do weddings and tend to avoid other commercial shoots that involve contracts. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and I plan on keeping it that way. That does not mean of course, that I object to earning any money from the pursuit of it, but my approach to it is much more relaxed than it is with most professional photographers. Details of any charges that I do make are on my web site Ahead Foto, but I shall summarise here how I generally operate.

Firstly, I work on the principle that if a client or a potential client does not really like the work I have produced and wants to purchase it, there is no need for them to spend any money on making a purchase. Regardless I make low resolution watermarked files of all edited shots from a shoot available to the client at no cost whatsoever, whether or not they make any purchases. These files are of a reduced size, but suitable for posting on sites such as Starnow or Facebook. They are not large enough for prints or other types of photo products. The one exception I make to the “no charge” rule is if a new client requests a shoot. I have been let down in the past by flakes, so now I charge a one hundred dollars non-refundable deposit when making the booking. However, if the shoot does go ahead, the deposit can be used as credit for making purchases.

There is something I do expect in exchange for offering free photo shoots. Before the shoot I expect a Model Release form to be completed and signed. Any models under eighteen years of age will need to have the form signed by a guardian. Basically, the form is confirming that I, (the photographer), have the copyright to the photos I have taken. If there is recognisable property involved in the shoot, a property release form may also be required to be completed and signed.

All the information in the above three paragraphs refers to photo shoot. If you wish to purchase Flip products, there will of course be a charge. Contact me for details.

Early in 2017 I purchased software for publishing flip page books and commercial software for magazines and pages layout. Previously I had been using open access software for page layouts. This was good, but nowhere near as user friendly and as good as commercial programs. It is probably similar to comparing open access photo retouching programs like Gimp to Adobe Photoshop. Book publishing I have been involved with for years. I had published well over thirty paperback and e-books before purchasing the Flip Page software.

The main reason for the purchasing of the new software was my interest in publishing magazines. There were three main ideas for magazines which I had in mind at the time. The first was to do with people and their pets. The second related to models, actors, performers and film makers etc.; and the third about the south east corner of the state of Queensland. I even registered domain names and established embryonic web sites for each. They are: www.petographymagazine.com, www.modelsactorsperformers.com and www.southeastqueenslandliving.com. A fourth domain site was registered to cover each of the above three sites www.flippagemags.com.

My original intention was to have at least one magazine from each of the three areas published before the end of 2017. The people with their pets theme was the first area I decided to work on. After working on Petography Magazine for a while, I decided that I would get it established before attempting to work on the other two magazines. Four issues of Petography Magazine have now been successfully published both as instantly downloadable Flip Page e-books and as paperbacks.

It is now time to tackle the second publication, Models Actors Performers. Some material for the first edition is already available, but much more is needed. I shall be concentrating on this during January with the aim of having the first issue published by March, 2018. The third area, South East Queensland Living, I shall leave a little longer with the aim of the first edition being published by about half way through 2018.

Firstly, let me say what it is not. It is not planned to be a fashion magazine. There are heaps of those in the marketplace already. That is not to say of course, that people whose photos appear in the magazine, can’t be fashionable. The demographic I have in mind for this publication is people with an interest in: modelling, acting, performing, theatre, TV and film. The magazine will consist of both editorial content and photography, with the emphasis, over 50%, on photography. Each edition will have several feature articles such as: the making of a film or other projects; stories on individuals whether they be actors, performers, casting directors, talent agents or whatever. The articles should be interesting, easy to read, and as I have already said, have plenty of photos to back them up.

I plan on producing similar size and type of magazine that I have produced for Petography. Though, having said that, the recent Petography Magazines have grown a bit larger than was originally intended. The size I have in mind is between sixty to seventy pages for each issue. As with Petography Magazine, each issue will be available as either an instantly downloadable flip page magazine or as a paperback. I have kept the flip page magazine price at US$2.50 for Petography, and plan to do the same with Models Actors Performers. Even with conversion to Aussie dollars, that accounts for less than a cup of coffee cost for each purchase. The paperback versions will be more expensive and they will have a limited market, probably mainly those whose stories appear in the magazine.

For anyone living in the southeast corner of our state, I am happy to do the photography at no cost to the models involved. However, I am also happy to receive photos etc., from others regardless of where you reside, provided you own the copyright, or have permission from the copyright holder, for the material to be included in the magazine. Credit will of course be given to all other photographers whose work appears in the magazine.

My main reason for publishing this article now is to get as many people involved as I am able. I will not be able to do this project on my own. I will need lots of assistance from others who feel it may be of some value. Whether you are someone who has an interest in having your story told, you are a photographer, or you know someone who may be interested, please make contact with me. That you can do here on this blog site, on messenger if you are on it, or even text me if you prefer 0403 543 827.

The idea of publishing magazines about people and their pets came to me early in 2017. A web site was obtained and I let it be known that I was looking for models who had pets to photograph. Most shoots of people and their canine, feline, equine and other animal friends were taken during June, July, August and September. I had travelled as far as Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast to obtain the shots I was after.

I had decided to publish Petography Magazine bi-monthly and the first issue was published in August for September, 2017. The second issue was the November issue which was published in October. Around this time I started receiving enquiries from people I had photographed, whose photos had not as yet been published, about when they could see photos of them and their pets in print.

In those early months of the year I had spent considerable time on pet shoots and had accumulated a heap of material to use. Well; the good news for all of those who I have photographed but whose photographs did not appear in either the September, or October issues of the magazine; is that you and your pets photographs have now been published.

Following the formulae that I had been using, the third issue would have been the January, 2018 issue to be published late in December. A week or so ago I had been working on setting up of the January issue. I had got up to page ninety, and still only used about half the material I had left. Issue four would not have been due until March 2018, which was way too long for people to wait to see the photographs of them and their pets. So, I continued working on magazine compilation and as of today, have successfully published both issues three and four. I just have not put any reference to the date on issue four. I thought it would be a bit strange people seeing a magazine in late December, 2017 dated March, 2018.

Each publication since the first has grown in size. These latest two have over ninety pages.

If you are one of the people who has been photographed for the magazine, but whose photographs have not been published as yet, you may be wondering which issue your photos appear in. Basically, I have been working through the photos in chronological order of the shoots. If you were photographed prior to the end of July 2017, you will be in issues one, two or three. Anyone photographed after the start of August, 2017 will be in issue four.

Before I give you the links to these issues, let me share with you a couple of dilemmas I have had regarding them. One was with stories. I had some difficulties in obtaining some, and some others I didn’t receive, there are also some which I have lost. There was a hand written story for example from Zalia about her guinea pigs which I have not been able to locate. So for any of you whose stories I have lost, I am sorry. The other dilemma was with Starnow. In one of the letters I had sent out to participants I mentioned after the first issue was published, it was available for downloading for US$2.50. A Starnow staff member in their infinite wisdom decided that I was running a commercial operation and should therefore be paying models for the shoot. They subsequently deleted all correspondence to the models concerned as well as their contact details. The loss of these records means that there are some models I can not contact unless they contact me first. Any income received has no where near covered my direct costs, not even the petrol costs to attend one shoot. No, I am not whining. I am just pointing out how incredibly petty some people can be. This staff member maybe should take a look at the one hundred plus recommendations on my Starnow profile and wonder why I received them. Of the hundreds of models on Starnow for whom I have provided head shots and profile shots over the last nine years, none have ever been charged.

Okay, that’s off my chest. Below is the cover and link details for Issue 3 of Petography Magazine.

Petography Magazine issue 3

The buy now button will take you to the site where you can make a purchase for an immediate download. Some people in the past have been confused by the screen that appears immediately after making your purchase. On the right hand side of that screen is a row where you are to insert your email address exactly as it was when you made your purchase. Any mistakes in transcribing it will result in an invalid result. The paperback version of the publication is also available. I shall put up appropriate links on the web site later on tonight.

Below is the cover for issue four of Petography Magazine.

I am still waiting for the finalisation of publishing details for the paperback version of issue four, but I shall get them posted on the web site after they become available.

The cost of the electronic download for each of the issues of the Petography Magazine is US$2.50. I have been asked why the cost is in US dollars and not Aussie dollars. The answer is that I am using US software, and the only choice with pricing is US dollars. However, even with conversion, the magazine will cost only about $3.40 in Aussie currency, which has to be a bargain for a ninety page magazine in full colour which is advertisement free.

I remember years ago, the Saturday papers were the go to publications for everything, from finding which jobs were available to apply for, to finding out which shops had specials and what they were. Newspapers and magazines were full of advertisements for almost anything. Firms that didn’t advertise through magazines and newspapers would sometimes print flyers and fill your letter box with them.

But, all that has changed. Globally many publications which were in business a few years ago, now no longer exist. Many that do remain are struggling and have drastically cut staff numbers, notably journalists, because the advertising revenue is no longer available to pay for them. Printed catalogues that many firms used a few years ago are now far less common.

So, have firms stopped spending money on marketing? No, of course not. They have just changed how and where it is being spent. It is now a mere quarter of a century that we have had the World Wide Web, or Internet, but it is sometimes difficult to remember how we ever existed without it.

The Internet along with other technology has really changed how we do almost everything. One of the biggest changes has been in the way in which many people communicate. I don’t use public transport often, but when I do catch a train or a bus I am still surprised by the number of people staring at their smart phones with their thumbs working overtime. Once upon a time you would sit on a bus or a train and actually have a chat with the person sitting beside you whether your knew them or not. Generally I embrace change, but there are some things I preferred as they were.

But, I digress. I was discussing how advertising revenue for the traditional print media had significantly dropped. And fewer people are purchasing printed publications. This trend is closely correlated with the changes in the way people are communicating, which I also mentioned. Social media sites such as Facebook have in many cases have taken the place of the traditional print media. Firms having a social media presence are generally much more likely to be successful than those that don’t. Google and Facebook are now receiving a much greater share of the advertising revenue that in the past would have gone to the traditional print media.

Web sites would probably be considered as essential for many businesses if they are to stay in business. They are relatively inexpensive to set up and maintain, in addition to being able to produce colour photographs of products without having to go to the expense of getting them printed.

Maybe in some ways I am old fashioned, but personally I still prefer to hold a physical book or magazine in my hands instead of reading it on a Kindle reader or an iPad. However, I do both. Since 2010 I have published several books. The early ones were on aspects of business and communication, and most of the more recent ones are photography related. They have all been published as both paperbacks and as e-books. Earlier this year I investigated the software for the latest technology in e-books, the flipping page book. I thought it was great and purchased the software. Most of the books which I had earlier published as paperbacks and as e-books, are now also published as flipping page books. You can view them here.

In addition to converting these books, I have used the software to produce two issues of Petography Magazine. I have always had an entrepreneurial streak in me, and I have come up with what I think are great ideas to effectively use this software. I analysed the pros and the cons of using this software instead of web sites or printed products for various different scenarios. In several instances, the pros far outweighed the cons.

Here are some of the areas in which marketing using this flipping technology software will be very effective:

On Halloween which occurs on the eve of All Saint’s Day, 31 October, it was believed by the ancient Celts that ghosts and spirits move about on the evening. Many of the current celebrations of Halloween are based on these pre-Christian traditions. It has been a big deal with our American cousins for some time, and Aussies seem to be increasingly accepting the celebration of Halloween. I spent a couple of days this week at my Nephew’s house at Buderim. On Tuesday night we drove up to Tewantin to look at some furniture advertised on Gum Tree, and there were quite a few groups of “tricksters and treaters” wandering the streets.

Halloween is not just for the kids. It is a great excuse for adults to dress up and party as well. Wade Boys is a guy who has oganised Halloween parties for years. This year’s was his tenth consecutive Halloween celebration. And, participants take it very seriously. Professional makeup artists are in attendance to create all sorts of ghoulish effects. One guy this year had a latex mask which was imported from the USA. He paid more for it than many would pay for a major electrical appliance.

It has been my pleasure to be behind the lens of my camera for the last two years at Wade’s Halloween parties. Beaut shots were obtained on both occasions. This year I edited a total of nine hundred photographs from the party. Now, that is way too many to post on Facebook, so instead I have posted the whole lot into an album I have created. It has a total of two hundred and thirty pages. These have been incorporated into a flip page book which can be flipped through fairly quickly. The book is available as an instantly available download for US$2.50 and I have posted details below. For anyone interested, the book will also be available as a paperback. But, being in full colour with two hundred and thirty pages and nine hundred photographs, the cost will be considerably more than the electronic download.

Below is the book cover and a “Buy Now” button where you can make an immediate purchase.

I shall let you know when the paperback version has been published for those of you who are interested. The front and back photos of the printed version are below.

I shall post a few small albums from the nine hundred photos on Facebook for you to have a look.

Everyone should have at least one recent good quality head shot. Almost all social media sites have provision for uploading head shots. And, for business sites such as Linkedin, or acting and model sites, it is vitally important that these head shots are of a high quality if you plan on those viewing your photos seeing you as a positive and professional person. First impressions tend to be lasting in people’s minds, and very often the first impression someone may have of you is from your head shot on a social media page.

What makes a great head shot? Below I have listed ten important pointers.

1. Your head shots needs to look like the natural you, not an air-brushed glamorous version of you.
2. Your face is the most important part of the head shot, and your eyes are the most important part of your face.
3. A great head shot photographer will spot focus on one of your eyes so it is bright and crystal clear.
4. Your head should almost fill the frame, sometimes with part of your upper body.
5. The background or the environment you are in is not important and should not distract from your face.
6. Lighting is important. Studio lighting is okay, but natural lighting tends to give a more natural, real look.
7. The lighting should also be soft, avoiding harsh shadows. Nothing should distract attention from your face.
8. Go easy on the makeup and avoid flamboyant clothing. Wear something conservative for the shoot. No props.
9. You need to feel relaxed for the shoot. A natural environment and a photographer with whom you feel comfortable.
10.Quality equipment in addition to an experienced photographer are both important for quality head shots.

Regardless of your line of work, if you are promoting yourself you will need a good head shot. If you are an actor or a model, your head shot can be your single most important marketing tool. You need to be seen as a professional, not an amateur.

Let’s look in more detail at the ten points I have made above.

The old saying that, “photographs don’t lie” is no longer true. They can and they do lie. With modern software it is easy to airbrush away acne and wrinkles, and even make obese people look less so. Head shots are not about you looking pretty and glamorous. They are about you looking like you and even showing aspects of your personality. Post processing should be kept to a minimum.

Points two, three and five in the above list can only be achieved with a quality camera fitted with a lens designed for head shots. An iPhone is not capable of giving these results. Let me explain. A phone camera can produce a reasonable snapshot with everything in reasonable focus.

But, you do not want that.

A good head shot has what is referred to photographically as having good bokeh. Bokeh means there are areas that are out of focus. Why have areas out of focus? Well, because that draws the viewers attention to the area that is most in focus. And, that area is the model’s eyes. Or, if both eyes are not exactly the same distance from the camera’s lens, it will be one of the model’s eyes.When we look at someone, we tend to look at their eyes. Next time a baby or young child looks at you, you will see that they are not looking at your ears or mouth, but directly at your eyes.

A good camera lens will be a prime focus lens that can be set to a very low f-stop giving a very short depth of field. This means that the focus point, normally the nearest eye, will be crystal clear and everything else closer to or further away from the lens will out of focus. The further the difference in distance from the lens, the more blurry will be the focus. The background therefore will be just a soft blur, with nothing recognisable in it. For my head shots I usually use a top quality Nikon Prime 85mm lens set to an f-stop of 1.8 that is fitted to my Nikon D800 full frame 36 megapixel camera.

Point four above states that your head for a good head shot should almost fill the frame. Sometimes part of the upper body may be in the shot as well. A businessman’s head shot for LinkedIn for example may show him with his tie and suit coat in addition to just his head. But, too much space, particularly above the head needs to be avoided. It is even okay to sometimes cut off the top part of the model’s head so once again all attention is drawn to the face.

Points six and seven above refer to lighting. In a studio, a photographer can have total control over the lighting and great shots can be obtained. The background can be a plain grey, black or some other colour. Although studio head shots are often preferred by many, I prefer the more natural and relaxed look that can usually be obtained using natural light outdoors. Provided the background is a reasonable distance away from the model, it will appear as a soft merging of colours in the finished product, which looks more natural than studio backdrops.

In point eight I mention makeup. Avoid using it, or at least too much of it. This is not a glamour shoot, it is a shoot which is trying to show you as you are as much as possible in real life. Mid-tone conservative clothes should be worn so that undue attention is not drawn to them. Props in the head shot should not normally be required.

Being relaxed and feeling comfortable for the shoot is important. A good experienced photographer should be able to help here. Also, as I have already mentioned an outdoors location is usually more conducive to putting you at ease than a studio setting. If an indoor shoot is a preferred option, an indoor studio set up in your own workplace or home, is more desirable than attending a photographic studio with which you are not familiar.

Head shots are different from comp card shots or portfolio shots. Comp cards are normally a small set of A5 size cards, or a couple of pages of A4 photographs showing different aspects of a particular model or actor. A portfolio is generally more comprehensive showing the model or actor in different outfits, settings and environments, with or without others and props. A head shot is normally used as the image of the model/actor/business person that will be seen first by others on social media sites and elsewhere.

Currency of your head shots is important. They should be replaced at least every two years, or more frequently if your “look” is changing. They should show you as you are now, not how you were ten years ago.

You are welcome to visit my new web site Ahead Foto and contact me if you have any questions regarding what you have read. If you have a firm in south east Queensland and would like headshots for your entire staff, or some of your staff, I would be happy to discuss arrangements with you.

The website link I have given is specifically for head shots. However, I am also involved in other aspects of photography, portraiture being my preferred genre. Contact me if you think I can assist in any way.

The November 2017 issue of Petography magazine has now been published. It is available as an instantly downloadable electronic flip book, , or as A printed magazine.

The magazine has grown in size since the first volume which had sixty-six pages. The November, 2017 issue has a total of eight-six pages, all in full colour. The download price has been kept at a low US$2.50, and it is intended to keep all future issues at this same low price. But, being in full colour and with the high price of quality printed magazines and books, there is a marginal increase in the cost of the printed version.

Since 2012, I have published numerous books on subjects ranging from Australian humour and slang, to giving personal presentations and photography albums. Work books on subjects such as setting and achieving goals have also been published. Most of these books are available as both published paperbacks with ISBN’s and instantly downloadable e-books using Amazon Kindle and other formats. Thirty-four of them are now also published in Flip Book format.

One advantage of the Flip Book format, is that I have set up all of these books on book shelves, and the first ten pages of any of them can be viewed before deciding to make a purchase. Once a purchase is made, the book becomes instantly available. The prices of all of my Flip Books is in the range of US$0.99 to US$4.95, with the majority being around US$2.45.

Chances are, if you have been to my photo shoots over the years, your photos may well be in one or more of my photo albums. If you have downloaded a Flip Book and you would like to see a printed copy of the same book, just let me know. I do have multiple copies of most of them, and can bring the one you want to the next shoot for you to take a look.

Petography magazine is a bi-monthly publication with stories of people and their pets. If you or members of your family have a pet, or pets, and would like to be featured in a future issue, then let me know. It can be easily arranged.

Whether it is for; a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, a thank you, or for any other reason; finding an appropriate and unique present for someone can sometimes present as a problem for a potential purchaser.

Photographic prints are one option. But, there are many personalised and unique products that can be quickly made from the original images. These products include, but are not limited to the following: mouse pads, stubbie holders, jig-saw puzzles, slate products, coated glass and crystal, coated aluminium, coated plastics, ceramic tiles of various sizes, ceramic mugs, and on fabric for wearable products such as T-Shirts.

All of the above listed products, I am able to manufacture myself through a process known as sublimation printing. This process is explained in another posts on this site. Any photograph that I have taken can be made into a sublimation product, with or without added text and/or graphics.

In addition to photography, graphic design is another interest of mine, and I currently have hundreds of designs which I have published. Most have incorporated my photography as well as graphics and any of these is available for placement on products of your choice.

Personal manufacturing by me is one option for obtaining these products, but another is through third party web sites. One site which I have now been a member of for well over nine years is RED BUBBLE. Examples of some of my RED BUBBLE work and access to my profile on RED BUBBLE can be obtained by clicking the link.

Not all products listed on RED BUBBLE, am I able to manufacture myself, but many I can. You are of course very welcome to purchase directly from the RED BUBBLE site, but if you live locally in south-east Queensland, I suggest that you contact me first. If I am able to manufacture the same or a similar product, I can do it for a lower price than you will see on the RED BUBBLE web site.

A newer kid on the block which I have uploaded many of my designs to is a site called ZAZZLE. Some of my designs on ZAZZLE are also on RED BUBBLE, but there are also many additional designs there. Another difference with the ZAZZLE site is that all the designs that I have uploaded, I have made editable. You are able to enlarge or reduce the size of any of my graphics, and you are also able to add your own personalised text to any graphic, for any of the products listed. ZAZZLE has a Greater range of products than RED BUBBLE.

Currently I have three separate stores on ZAZZLE, and the products are listed in a total of twenty-four different categories. Links to my profile, stores and the categories are listed below. You are welcome to browse through any that you wish. As with RED BUBBLE, I own all the photographs and art work listed on any of my products. This I have stored on external hard drives for easy access, and any of the photos and graphics can be used for products which I personally manufacture.

Congratulations if you have gone through all of those. Another idea for a present is a copy of one of the books I have published. There are over thirty from which to choose. Over the last few years, they have been mainly photography albums, and chances are if you have been to one or more of one of my shoots your images will be in one or more of these albums. Almost all of my publications at available as both instant electronic downloads. The electronic downloads cost only a couple of dollars each, with a variety of electronic formats available for each. You may prefer to have a printed hard copy that you can leave on the coffee table for visitors to browse through. These publications are all registered with ISBN numbers and are available through all major international booksellers. I personally purchase several copies of each publication, and if you live locally to me, any of the publications I can bring along to our next photo shoot or somewhere else we may be meeting up for you to have a look at. A list of all of my books and some of the outlets they are available from are listed on my Ian’s Books Web Site.